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What Does Christmas Mean To You?

12 December 2017

When you hear the word Christmas, what automatically springs to mind?

For me, it's always my childhood Christmases.

The promise that Santa would come whilst I was asleep. Waking up in the morning and feeling around in the dark for the present left on the end of the bed. The smells of sausage rolls cooking before breakfast (A tradition I've kept going with my own kids) A full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Lots of family. Playing with new toys. A bowl full of walnuts on the table. Having to all eat breakfast together before we could even look at the presents under the tree. Playing outside with neighbourhood friends.Christmas when you are a child is pure magic.

I hope that now I'm the Mum that I bring that same magic to Christmas day. No matter whether we were spending Christmas at home or a family filled Christmas at my grandparents house, it was always special. It was always big. Everyone was happy, carefree and child like.

When I was younger I couldn't understand why we had to wait before opening our presents but now I get it. Firstly if you've had breakfast then it doesn't matter quite so much if you fill yourself up completely on selection boxes but also because eating together is important but on Christmas day it's even more important. Christmas isn't about the amount of presents or how much money has been spent on gifts. It's about spending the day together, with people you love. Whether thats blood family or family you've made through friends. That's what Christmas should be about.

When my kids are older I doubt they'll remember what they received when they were 8 years old but I hope they'll remember the smell of the sausage rolls cooking when they wake up. The sounds of me clattering around the kitchen whilst singing very badly to Michael Buble. The feast of a dinner that their auntie serves. I hope they'll remember laughing with their cousins and squealing as their uncles throw them around the living room whilst I moan that they've just eaten and it's probably best not to throw them upside down. I hope they'll remember falling asleep on Christmas night with smiles on their faces as we talk about the day and remember funny stories about past Christmases..

And then I hope that they pass those same memories on to their own children in years to come..